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About the role
As a Principal Software Engineer and hands-on technical leader, you will guide a team of engineers while actively contributing to the architecture and development of quantum software and hardware systems. You will develop and implement distributed systems, ensuring flawless hardware-software integration for our quantum networking initiatives. By leveraging your expertise in software architecture and quantum mechanics, you will drive the development of quantum control, orchestration, and error correction solutions. Found on 1752vc Careers, the job board for startup and VC roles.
What they're looking for
- Bachelors + 15 years of related experience, or Masters + 12 years of related experience, or PhD + 8 years of related experience, or equivalent related work experience
- 10+ years of experience in software engineering, with a focus on software architecture, system design, and distributed systems
- Experience using Golang and/or Python to design and deliver scalable, production-grade applications
- Experience in a technical leadership or people management role, maintaining hands-on contributions to codebases and system architecture
- Experience in hardware-software integration and co-design, supported by a foundational understanding of quantum mechanics and complex system architectures
More about this role
The application window is expected to close on: 11/26/2026
Outshift is Cisco’s incubation team, built to chase technologies that do not fit anywhere else yet. Our quantum group runs Cisco Quantum Labs, where we are building real hardware and software for the quantum internet. This includes an entanglement chip developed in collaboration with UC Santa Barbara and the new Cisco Universal Quantum Switch. We also host our own Quantum Summit every year. Join us to lead and innovate at the forefront of quantum networking and computing.
As a Principal Software Engineer and hands-on technical leader, you will guide a team of engineers while actively contributing to the architecture and development of quantum software and hardware systems. You will develop and implement distributed systems, ensuring flawless hardware-software integration for our quantum networking initiatives. By leveraging your expertise in software architecture and quantum mechanics, you will drive the development of quantum control, orchestration, and error correction solutions. Your leadership will directly influence the technical direction of realizing Cisco’s vision for the Quantum Data Center, crafting the future of...
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